Shloka 9

Śiva-Pūjākramaḥ — The Procedural Order of Shiva Worship

Pañcāvaraṇa & Upacāras

Devanagari script

दत्त्वा पुष्पैरलंकृत्य प्रणवाद्यष्टनामभिः । सचतुर्थौंनमोऽन्तैश्च सुगन्धकुसुमैस्ततः

Transliteration

dattvā puṣpairalaṃkṛtya praṇavādyaṣṭanāmabhiḥ | sacaturthauṃnamo'ntaiśca sugandhakusumaistataḥ

Translation

Então, após oferecer flores e adornar (o emblema sagrado), deve-se adorar com oito nomes que começam com o Praṇava “Oṃ”. Depois, com flores perfumadas, pronuncia-se cada nome no dativo (quarto caso) e conclui-se com “namaḥ”, como rito de rendição reverente ao Senhor Śiva.

Word by Word

• dattvā: having offered
• dattvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dā (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), ‘having given/offered’

• puṣpaiḥ: with flowers
• puṣpaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental), Bahu-vacana

• alaṃkṛtya: having adorned
• alaṃkṛtya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: alaṃ-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta; Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having adorned’

• praṇava: the praṇava (Oṃ)
• praṇava: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: praṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga; (in compound) stem form; ‘Oṃ’

• ādya: beginning with
• ādya: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ādya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective; (in compound) ‘beginning with’ (आद्य)

• aṣṭa: eight
• aṣṭa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective; (in compound) ‘eight’

• nāmabhiḥ: with names
• nāmabhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti (Instrumental), Bahu-vacana

• sa: with
• sa: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sa (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; prefix-like particle ‘with’ (स-) used in compounds/phrases

• caturtha: fourth
• caturtha: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ordinal adjective; (in compound) ‘fourth’

• oṃ: Oṃ
• oṃ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: oṃ (अव्यय/प्रणव)
• Form: Avyaya; sacred syllable (प्रणव)

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; salutatory particle

• antaiḥ: ending with
• antaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti, Bahu-vacana; ‘ending with’ (अन्त) used adjectivally

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• sugandha: fragrant
• sugandha: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + gandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective; (in compound) ‘good-fragrant’; Karmadhāraya: suḥ gandhaḥ yasya/tat (सु-गन्ध)

• kusumaiḥ: with blossoms/flowers
• kusumaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kusuma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka-liṅga, Tṛtīyā-vibhakti, Bahu-vacana

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (ततः) ‘then/thereafter’

Speaker

Suta Goswami

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pati

Shiva Form: Īśāna

Mantra Metadata

Mantra: oṃ … (aṣṭa-nāmāni) … namaḥ

Type: panchakshara

Shakti Dimension

Role: nurturing

Ritual Elements

Offering: pushpa

Characters & Entities

• Shiva

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It teaches that Śiva is approached through humble offering and mantra: decorating and offering fragrant flowers becomes an outer sign of inner surrender (bhakti), especially when joined to the Praṇava and “namaḥ,” which expresses self-offering to Pati (the Lord).

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

The verse describes a concrete, Saguna mode of worship—adorning and offering flowers to the sacred form (such as the Liṅga)—while using mantra-structure (Oṃ + name in dative + namaḥ) to focus the mind on Śiva as the indwelling Lord.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

Perform flower-offering (puṣpārcana) with mantra-japa: recite Śiva’s praṇava-led names, each framed as “Oṃ [Name]āya namaḥ” (dative + namaḥ), maintaining reverence and single-pointed attention.